


Go For The Ego Boost

by PixieShips



Series: Agents In Distress [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-09
Updated: 2014-12-04
Packaged: 2018-01-08 03:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1127748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixieShips/pseuds/PixieShips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A gorgeous head." Is not going to cut it the next time Jemma Simmons needs to 'distract' a man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lesson

The massive amount of male laughter coming from the lounge area should have been her first clue that she did not want to discover what they were doing. Skye looked up from her computer at the same time Jemma raised the magnifying glass of her head gear. The two women considered each other before another wave of mixed laughter greeted them. Disentangling themselves respectively the two women nearly bolted to see what had Agent Grant Ward laughing with Fitz in such a way. Skye made it into the room before Jemma, obscuring her vision as they both stumbled into the room with less grace than either would have preferred. Skye bent forward to grab her stomach as she to descended into gut wrenching laughter.

"What could possibly be so funny?" Jemma asked, stepping around the woman blocking her entrance. If possible the ridiculous volume laughing coming from Fitz intensified, with her entrance. Ward had apparently stopped laughing, but the amused smile threatened to break apart his usually stone expression. Jemma turned her attention to the similar expression on Agent Coulson's face. It wasn't until she took in what was obviously a struggle not to laugh on the always un-amused Agent May that she saw the television.

"Oh no." She whispered under her breath as her face turned an awful shade of red.

"What the bloody hell were you trying to do to the man, confuse him to death?" Fitz managed to cough out as he leaned over the couch containing May and Coulson. Jemma refused to pick up her gaze from the carpet to engage the teasing.

"Convince him she'd had a miniature stroke apparently. Or at least that is what the official reports now say. Temporary hallucination due to stress from the alien virus she contracted. You could thank me, but this was too good to pass up." Coulson managed to say with somewhat of a straight face, but Jemma just crossed her arms and tried to shrink into herself, embarrassed beyond anything she had ever suffered before. She managed a small whisper of gratitude that she wouldn't be court marshaled, but this might have been a worse fate. The mention of her near death seemed to sober Fitz a little, but Skye seemed to be overcome with amusement. It wasn't until Jemma risked looking at the hacker she discovered it wasn't so much Jemma's predicament, but the amusement on Ward's face that had his junior agent overcome. Jemma didn't think it was possible but she felt her blush darken as Fitz leaned over Coulson's shoulder to hit the play button once more. She silently cursed the Hub for having audio equipped surveillance cameras.

"A gorgeous head?!" Fitz laughed once more, prompting Jemma to fidget with a wayward lock of her hair.

"Oh I know! I told her to say something, but…" Skye finally started to say, speaking way too loud for Jemma's comfort.

"I bloody well love Skye in the background there! WHAT?!" Fitz tilted his head, assuming a mocking tone to imitate the hacker. He seemed a little put out by what he'd just done, worried about how Skye would take it, but she simply smiled at him. Skye contorted her face into the perfect recall of her image on the surveillance feed.

"Yes…well…" Jemma tried to start a comeback to the teasing, but for the life of her she could not think of anything to say except what came tumbling out of her mouth as she watched herself shoot Agent Sitwell. "…the Night-Night gun is still an ounce off….so there." She shifted her weight from foot to foot. She was highly annoyed by the look Fitz and Skye seemed to share before both leaned on the other for support as they laughed uncontrollably.

"Does it breach the Sexual Harassment policy to give a chemistry course?" Coulson asked May as if no one else was there, and Jemma huffed at the smile on the woman's face. She was not amused by the dig at her specialty. Ward shifted beside her, but Jemma tried not to notice.

"Yes. I believe it does." May answered their superior officer slowly, prompting Skye and Fitz to simply look at another once more before descending into laughter. Jemma felt a twinge of jealously fight against the embarrassment at the camaraderie. There was a time it would be her and Fitz laughing in such a way together. She was beginning to think she'd never have such an easy relationship with her best friend again after the whole alien virus contraction.

"Well, I'm not a Shield Agent, soooo I've been dying to fix this, but you know didn't want to embarrass Simmons and all." Skye rambled, at least managing to look somewhat guilty. Fitz it seemed didn't see anything wrong with his attitude, even having to wipe a tear from his eye as he gulped for oxygen.

"Oh no, please." Jemma begged, seeing exactly where Skye was going. She did not need to be embarrassed any more than she already had. She made to step away, but she found herself colliding with the crossed arms of Agent Ward. With a huff of annoyance at the raise of his eyebrow, Jemma sulked like a child at the hacker beginning to tug her across the room.

"I hardly think this is necessary." She tried once again, using the most professional voice she could muster. When Skye and Fitz shared that look once more, Jemma almost stamped her foot.

"Seduction should never be your first tactical approach; however it can have its advantages." May threw into the rapid fire protests stumbling in half sentences out of Jemma. Coulson appeared entirely amused by the information, but Skye, Fitz, and Jemma were all slightly freaked out with the implied knowledge.

"Oh, Oh, like Agent Ward being told to…" Fitz started pointing his finger in the air before a look from Ward silenced him quickly. Jemma turned around to look at Ward in hope that he might help her out of this, but she was not that lucky when Skye grabbed both her upper arms. Jemma called out the woman's name in aggravation as she was shaken until she'd dropped her arms and her teeth began to rattle.

"Loosen up would you? Okay, now, the NEXT time all you gotta do is just you know take a deep breath." Skye began coach awkwardly, and Jemma nearly pitied her for it, but the blush was still fully taking up her own face. Skye took an exaggerated breath, raising her hand in demonstration that Jemma only followed because she knew she'd make no escape until she was satisfied.

"Okay, now just…" Skye waved her hands wildly again and confusion played out on Jemma's face for all to see.

"The tactical approach will be dictated by your intended target." May picked up for Skye and Jemma just knew she would explode from that alien virus yet at the heat of her embarrassment.

"Really?" Coulson good naturedly teased the Calvary like an immature teenager as she reached her feet and walked around the couch to stand beside Jemma. May ignored him, but Coulson turned around swiftly in his seat, even leaning his chin on the back cushion, knowing he was about to get a show.

"Take Fitz for example." May began, also ignoring the squeak of protest from the engineer as he suddenly figured out exactly what was about to happen. Jemma narrowed her eyes at him meaningfully to which he shrugged his shoulders in slight panic, an entire conversation passing between the two.

"Oh, she'd be fine if it were Fitz, I mean really they all have to have been Fitz if you're so…" Skye started to ramble, noticing the warning looks on those around her to prompt her quickly shutting up. Jemma tried not to be insulted by the woman's insinuation about her love life. Admittedly there weren't a lot of men in her past, and they had come on to her, but that was not something anyone was privy to except Fitz simply because he'd been there.

"Fitz." May pointed to the inch of floor in front of Jemma and he resisted childishly, even refusing forcibly until Skye succeeded in pushing him the distance to his lab partner.

"No, I don't think this is a good idea. Neither do you, huh, Jemma? Nope, bad idea." Fitz muttered but Skye forcibly kept him from backing away from her. Jemma had never wanted to disappear more than she did in that minute. If the floor were a hatch, she'd have gladly taken another sky dive to have avoided this.

"While I bloody well appreciate the concern, I assure you all I am perfectly capable of…whatever it is you believe me to be lacking. Now I believe I have been sufficiently embarrassed in lieu of a court martial, and I see no need for this." Jemma protested, crossing her arms once more before they were yanked back to her sides by May without any hesitation.

"Angle yourself in his direction." May continued and Jemma shifted her weight once again, looking at anything except Fitz.

"Compliment his brain." Skye threw in, popping up over Fitz's shoulder to be seen as she continued to fight the rapidly trying to retreat test dummy.

"Well, now this is just ridiculous. Fitz and I are well aware of the brain capacity of the other, and have spent extended periods of time in confined mutual space discussing everything from the origins of the known universe to the pliability of pastrami, I hardly think there is anything I could say…would say that could make a difference in any way." Jemma crossed her arms once more stubbornly, even as Fitz fidgeted, a rare unreadable expression on his face.

"Wow, we aren't actually talking about you seducing Fitz here, just guys like him." Skye awkwardly piped up, releasing the back of Fitz but he did not return to his hasty retreat plans. Jemma turned her gaze to the floor utterly awkward and embarrassed.

"Right well, the same can be said of others of the intellectual community, I mean should I need information from a member of my field community it would simply stand to reason I would simply ask them and convince them with logic. I hardly think I would need to resort to such…methods." Jemma fumbled to cover her unintentional slight. She had no desire to seduce her best friend and she wanted to get that across but she wasn't entirely sure how now. When Fitz finally moved away from her to lean beside Coulson's head he came to her rescue gratefully.

"Yes well, she's quite right about that. I mean she's had her fair share of blokes take to such astounding intelligence that shield's coveted. Myself included, though not too shabby in my own right I should say. There was this one bloke at university that Jemma was…"

"FITZ!" Jemma called in panic, not wanting THAT story told for the life of her.

"What? All I'm saying is…" Fitz shrugged like it didn't matter and she physically launched herself at him, covering his mouth with her hand.

"Oh now I GOTTA hear this story!" Skye exclaimed, looking over at May before moving away a little uncomfortable when her lightheartedness was meet with a look of non-emotion.

"Amusing, wouldn't you say Ward?" Coulson called over the rapidly staring pair. Jemma conveyed her panic, awkward embarrassment, and pleading to her friend with her eyes, earning a reluctant shrug before she removed her hand from Fitz's mouth. She had a feeling she'd hurt Fitz's feelings, but she continued to silently communicate her situation to him. When he nodded a little she knew he understood, even if she really had insulted him.

"Hilarious." Ward agreed with a slight chuckle that had Skye dropping her jaw dramatically and pointing at her superior officer while holding Jemma's attention.

"Perhaps you're right. You don't seem to have a problem with intellectual types. Agent Coulson I believe we need another example." May locked eyes with the lounging man before he simply broke out laughing, a small smile tugging at the sides of the Calvary's lips.

"Nope, sorry. 'Fraid I'm easy. Beautiful woman like Simmons, add a gun, any man my age," Coulson snapped his fingers giving Simmons a meaningful look at the age crack to which she managed a small self-conscious smile. " 'Sides, Level 8. Boss. Sorry." He shook his head releasing a slight puckering sound of dismissal. Despite still being embarrassed, Jemma felt a small amount of gratitude and affection for her boss at his smooth recovery.

"Ward." May tilted her head behind the young woman, and Jemma resisted the urge to look behind herself and make a childish remark about his previous amusement.

"He's not really a good example though, I mean being a robot an all there aren't really any guys like," Skye placed her hands on her hips tilting at a dangerous angle on her feet, "Agent Grant Ward." She mocked and Jemma felt a lot better than she had since leaving her comfortable and beckoning lab. She found herself sharing a look with Fitz at the teasing as Skye rapidly stopped at a look from the man in question. Jemma felt a little reassured by Fitz's glance; feeling as if they hadn't lost anything after all.

"Risk assessment says there will never be a need for Simmons or Fitz to be in such a situation." Ward tired, and despite knowing it was to get himself out of this, Jemma felt like he was coming to the rescue after all.

"What? No. What about the Russian mob guys, I clearly would have had to…" Fitz looked around at the glances in his direction awkwardly before waving his hands dramatically. "…you know if the EMP hadn't worked…she was a little handsie is all I'm sayin'." Fitz crossed his arms, even as Jemma managed a small smile. She told herself she was not amused by his predicament as he'd been hers, but she knew she was lying. She stumbled when May grabbed her left arm. She took three uneven steps before she found herself very much in Agent Grant Ward's personal space. She made to step away, almost feeling a physical "fuck off" vibe from the man, but May's hand on the small of her back halted her escape.

"Agent Sitwell would have had you detained, interrogated, and court martialed if you hadn't been armed with that weapon. Had that been the case, Ward and Fitz would have never gotten the extraction they needed and would not be here. Agent Coulson would have gotten to the extraction sight to late, and would have been hard pressed to protect you from the disciplinary system. Skye would be behind bars. Simply, because you could not fool a man into looking at you instead of what you were trying to do." May chastised nearly everyone in the room.

"I hardly think it as dramatic as all that…" Jemma tried to defend herself, but her proximity to Agent Ward afforded her a rather small space in which to breathe without touching his crossed arms. It was taking all her focus simply not to let her intake of breath press her chest into him. They were all quiet a moment before to Jemma's surprise it was Ward that spoke first. Dropping his arms to her relief she expected to be given her exit window, but she was incredibly stunned.

"No, May's right. Next time, if there is a next time which I highly doubt, it could be the difference between you surviving, or dying." He didn't look as serious as the Calvary, but Jemma still felt as if he'd dropped a ball of lead into her stomach. She fidgeted with that stubborn lock of hair that had fallen from her ponytail before looking at May, her mind made up. She tried to convince herself they weren't trying to make fun of her, just a happy accident, but were trying to actually help her. She was failing miserably at seeing why this was important, but she trusted May, and Ward had already saved her life once.

"In my defense it was a level 7 Shield operative. Agent Sitwell of all people! It's not like batting my eyelashes would have helped…"Jemma tried again, the blush having diminished just a little when the laughter had stopped.

"True, but complimenting the man's head and body mass index hardly qualifies as…" Fitz piped up behind her and Jemma flinched.

"Shut up Fitz." Skye harshly whispered, and Jemma suspected he'd been elbowed in the ribs by the hacker at his exhale of breath.

"Men like Agent Sitwell are experienced in the ways of espionage, and subtlety. You don't have a hope of tricking them on your best day." Coulson threw in from the couch and Jemma found the wall between Ward and May all the more interesting.

"If that is the case, whatever am I being subjected to this mockery for?!" She spoke up in a huff.

"In the end they are still men." May spoke just a little more harshly, but Jemma had a feeling it was aimed more at Coulson than her. She gulped audibly when May suddenly grabbed hold of her hand and shoved her palm over Agent Ward's left pectoral muscles. May held her hand there even as Jemma rolled her eyes to the ceiling, the dark red returning. The other woman released her hold, but Jemma found herself leaving her hand where it lay, the heat and sheer muscles mass beneath her fingers enticing in the worst way possible at that moment. She was a biology expert, she knew everything about the human body, but she couldn't help but think Ward could teach her something as she nearly broke out into a nervous sweat. She was very aware of the eyes on the back of her head, and she knew closing her eyes would be the wrong thing to do in this situation but she desperately wanted to. She wanted to cancel them all out and pretend she was anywhere but there, effectively feeling up Agent Ward. He was an incredibly handsome man on his worst day, and she felt her heart going erratic even though no one had moved. She had a sarcastic thought that you might have heard a pin drop as they waited for her to say or do something, what she had no idea. Instead she simply cleared her throat and waited to be instructed, but May seemed to be watching her reaction instead.

"Yes well, I have a feeling complimenting Agent Ward on his muscle tone would not be what you are looking at me to do, so I would suggest you simply tell me what you would like me to know and let us be done with the rubbish." She half mumbled, managing to lock eyes with Agent May for a brief second before looking away. Ward seemed to look at May as well, but Jemma was determined not to look at him in any way.

"You're intimidated by him." May declared, narrowing her eyes just slightly as if she wasn't quite sure of her own statement.

"Yes, well, who isn't?" Jemma sighed, turning around to look at Fitz for help, but it was Skye waving her hand in the air that caught her attention.

"Self-defense is now on the mandatory agenda. That goes for you to Fitz. As for right now…" Ward drew her attention back in his direction, but she looked to May instead.

"No compliments, no subtleties. Go for the ego boost." Coulson called as if he were talking about a boxing match to her slight amusement before she realized exactly what he was insinuating. Ripping her hand off Ward's chest she turned around fully.

"Now, I hardly think that…" She started in self-indignation, letting out a small 'eep' when Ward swiftly turned her back around to face him.

"You ever need to use this; they will know exactly what you're doing. Your goal is to distract them long enough to either be rescued, or given the opportunity to do so yourself. You ever have to do this it will not be against a Shield agent with innocent intentions. If they don't kill you on sight, they want something from you, and nine times out of ten if you…" Ward stumbled over his wording then, being picked up by May without the hesitation.

"If you offer them an enticing alternative to killing you, it will buy you some time to get yourself out of whatever situation you've found yourself in. If you can distract your opponent you can neutralize them easier or avoid bloodshed."

"So I'm to become a…a….SCARLET WOMAN, to save my own life?! I think not!" Jemma scoffed, deeply offended, but May once again stopped her retreat but she did let her take a single step away from Ward.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Jemma! Now no one's bloody well saying THAT!" Fitz yelled in the indignation she clearly felt.

"Well it certainly is feeling like it." Jemma muttered under her breath when Skye and Fitz started to try reassuring her. Ward gave a large sigh before he bent down to her eye level, finally forcing her to look at the honest and gentle expression she'd only seen a few times. The last having been when they'd survived Coulson's reprimand.

"You never have to use these skills, but they are good to have. Fitz neutralized a Russian mob with a similar approach, and nobody thinks less of him." Ward admitting Fitz had done field work correctly was commented on by the man behind her, but was then loudly objected to by the same man. Jemma found herself continuing to meet Ward's eye, something about the honesty in his gaze gluing her to him. "It's an advantage you have, and there is no shame in using every single one you have in a life or death situation. There is no cheating in the field, no do overs, and no extra lives. You get one shot, and that's it. Anyone you come up against where this will be an option is, like Coulson said, will know what you're doing. BUT with adrenaline running, it's possible for the smartest people to turn into the stupidest if you add more endorphins." He slowly reasoned and Jemma felt a small smile begin to twitch at the corners of her lips.

"Did you just attempt to science me, Agent Ward?" She couldn't help but mock, earning a well humored laugh from her lab partner and his junior agent. The absolute release of tension even seemed to twitch a smile onto Agent's May's unmovable facial muscles. Ward dropped his head dramatically groaning as if she hadn't understood what he'd been trying to say, though the small smile gave him away.

"Oh alright." She sighed as well, bringing both hands up to her cheeks self-consciously while May allowed her to take a few steps back. Removing her hands from the heat of her face to wave around a few times as if an athlete; Jemma finally turned back to the half way expectant look on Ward's face.

"You're goal is to retrieve Agent Coulson's watch." May declared, dangling said watch just behind the back of Agent Ward. Jemma missed the quick glance Coulson sent to his wrist before sending a silent glare at the Calvary. She could just make out the face of Captain America behind Ward when Skye came up behind her. She gave her a tiny head tilt when Skye massaged her shoulders playfully.

"Get him tiger. Meow!" Skye mocked and Jemma threw her eyes up to the ceiling again.

"Skye. Not helping." Ward finally reprimanded his junior agent-in-training. Skye raised her hands in surrender, the humor having crept back into the hackers every move.

"Uh, I really don't think I need to be here for this." Fitz mumbled; his exit cut off by Skye wrapping her arm around the man's waist. He opened his mouth a few times before finally giving up, though he did turn his back. Skye adjusted herself once more to watch, a near fan girl energy brewing in the woman. Jemma turned back to look at Ward, meeting his eyes even as she continued to perpetually blush. She stumbled the three steps between them, but no one commented on it or how her eyes went everywhere a minute. Putting her hand back where May had put it she hoped she wasn't sweating to horrendously. She found herself following her own movements as she trailed her fingers down his chest, trying to remember the last time she'd been this close to anyone but Fitz. They had truly been on the Bus to long.

When she began to trace the outlines of his well-defined abs she finally looked up at him. Channeling all the confidence every member of their team had, but her, she used her unoccupied hand to grab the back of Ward's head. He resisted, most likely expecting an attack, but she rose to her tip toes and plastered her lips to his. She forgot her mission entirely, even forgetting the presence of their entire team as Ward swallowed her waist in his arms. She removed her hand from between them to throw it around his neck. His lips were chapped, but oh so delicious under Jemma's assault. The gasp from behind her, undoubtedly Skye, reminded her in a split second why she was kissing Agent Grant Ward, but she was torn away from her consciousness by his tongue running over her bottom lip. She gave him instant access, her blood pounding in her ears recreating the sounds of her rapid fall from the Bus.

She didn't think she was doing to terrible a job distracting Ward by the way his arms tightened around her and he began to explore her mouth vigorously. It was as if instant fire spread over her skin and Jemma definitely knew it had been too long since she'd been held by a man, even longer since one had desired her. She found herself whimpering under his assault before he was lifting her off the ground. It was instinct to wrap her legs around his waist, and she knew he had the upper hand in this. Opening one of her eyes she noticed a small dot of red over his left shoulder, but she did not reach for it. Instead she simply closed her eyes again and grabbed both sides of Ward's face. She missed the raised eyebrow from May, the whistle from Coulson, and the shock over Skye's face as she continued to kiss Ward as if they were not there. It was when his rather strong grip on her bum began to become painful as he helped her to resist gravity that she opened her eye again. She tensed remembering exactly what she was supposed to be doing. She could feel the embarrassment beginning to choke her. She trailed her hand down his arm, before girlishly giggling, biting his lip just enough to draw him away from her sharply, but not enough to draw blood. Jemma snatched the watch from May's still outstretched hand, as Ward dropped her harshly. She yelped when she landed in a heap on her bottom, but it was Ward holding her wrist that was truly embarrassing.

"I'd say that was better than expected." May simply shrugged, snatching the watch from Jemma's fingers before moving around the crumpled woman. Jemma stared at her in shock, not really believing she'd just done THAT. Ward seemed to snap out of his staring at May when she handed Coulson back his prized possession, helping Jemma off the floor without a word. Jemma jumped away from him at least six feet, even as he stared at her unreadable.

"Am I dismissed?" She squeaked crossing her arms over her chest and attempting to make herself as small as possible. She didn't seem to notice that the hallway doorway was finally free of obstacles.

"Recap." Coulson threw over his shoulder as if he had not just witnessed the most embarrassing moments of Jemma Simmons life.

"Heads bad, intelligence, egos good." She squeaked, not able to look at any of them. Skye was rapidly looking between Jemma and Ward while Fitz seemed terribly interested in the back of Coulson's head like he was daft. May simply reached over and helped Coulson fasten his watch.

"And?" Coulson asked again.

"Advantage, use it if I'm to die?" She squeaked, not even sure of the answer as her skin continued to burn from her contact with Ward. She could almost feel his finger prints on her rear and she wasn't sure if she wanted a shower or a resin kit to immortalize them.

"Lesson learned." Coulson laughed before Jemma bolted out of the lounge area, not quite believing herself what had just happened. She couldn't help but stumble as the last thing she heard was Coulson telling Ward he had "…a little lipstick on his face".


	2. Cherry Chapstick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Girl talk might be the last thing Jemma should do about this...

"Sooooo?" Skye started, physically sliding up to Jemma at her workspace after having taken side long glances at her since the minute Ward stepped into the lab to retrieve Fitz. Jemma sighed, having tried extremely hard not to engage Skye's glances. It seemed the hacker would give her no choice. However rather than stop her genetic testing, a small side project as she'd told Fitz, she simply continued examining her specimen with a 'hmm' in her direction.

"Oh come on Simmons! Ward. You. Kissing…I need the details! Is he a good kisser? Oh well, he is I can tell, but how good is the question? I'm really hoping he's bad, just forewarning, I mean hello it's Ward, but anyway…yeah." Skye rambled as Jemma continued to work. She spared a quick glance out the lab doors to the man in question. Jemma could tell that Fitz was cursing, and rather blatantly, as he punched the heavy bag hung in the cargo hold. Ward seemed irritated, but Jemma could not make out if he said anything. She caught herself about to blush just looking at his lips in the first place. With a giant huff, Jemma removed her head gear and walked around the hacker as if she wasn't there. Transferring her specimen she intended to run more tests, but Skye had other plans, blocking her movements.

"Come oooooonnnnn Jemma! We've been locked up on this frackin' Bus so long I'm starting to forget what it is to enjoy a little male attention." Skye whined and despite knowing she shouldn't, Jemma found her eyes going back in Ward and Fitz' direction.

"Well….I'm sure it's not as bad as all that…" Jemma raised her eyebrow at Skye, managing to step around her when Skye whined yet again.

"It is so that bad! I can't breathe without this thing radioing back to Coulson…or May…or Ward, whoever it is that monitors this frackin' thing." Skye shook her wrist angrily at the ceiling, and Jemma raised her head from her work, out of sheer pity.

"Yes, well, what does that have to…" Jemma shook her head confused by the frustrated look on her friends face.

"Yeah, you think I want Shield knowing my heart rates jumping in perfect boyfriend related bliss? I think not! And my internet usage is monitored down to the kilobyte. I don't want Shield having THAT kinda information!" Skye continued in a hushed whisper, Jemma trying desperately not to blush but she knew she was starting to turn a rosy shade.

"Right…well…" Jemma stammered after a short staring match with the woman, moving around her swiftly toward another of her many lovely machines. She really needed to name her equipment; it would make it so much easier for Fitz to know what not to touch. Jemma moved what looked like a hydraulic spring from the observation stand of her next task.

"Jemmmmaaaaa!" Skye whined, landing in Fitz' chair, before sliding herself across the lab and sliding up to Jemma once more.

"Exaggerating every word does not a solid argument make." Jemma tried to dodge the question, shaking her head once more, the blush still lingering despite her best efforts. She had nearly gotten it off her face before Skye asked, having turned the pink shade at her first interaction with Ward since, 'the lesson' as it was now being referred to in an attempt to spare her more embarrassment.

"Please?" Skye tried instead, putting her hands together in a prayer gesture before jutting out her lower lip and giving Jemma the best puppy dog eyes the woman could apparently muster. Jemma bit her lower lip, trying desperately to not talk about this with the woman. Jemma was not normally the 'kiss and tell' type, but it was beginning to really weigh on her brain. She'd spent the last two days constantly licking her lips before she'd catch herself. Fitz had even caught her in the middle of a daydream in the lab the previous afternoon. She'd blushed and it had been all he needed to start laughing at her. Leaning backward to look at the two men still in the middle of the newly created self-defense class she had yet to be collected for, she whimpered just a little. Giving in, Jemma abandoned her experiment for a brief moment, leaving it where it sat to retrieve her chair on her left side. Skye shrieked in happiness, deepening Jemma's blush as she hurriedly hushed the woman. Skye at least looked embarrassed by her outburst as she looked over her shoulder to make sure neither man had heard. When it looked like they were safe, both women turned back to the other.

"Okay so spill. Good kisser? Come on spill." Skye hurriedly asked once more, nearly bouncing in her seat.

"I wish it on record I am not comfortable discussing something so highly inappropriate about Agent Ward and I. It is most decidedly a breach in keeping the private business of another private." Jemma raised an eyebrow at Skye, using her most sincere and business tone. Skye scoffed, not taking her serious at all.

"Yeah, and?" Skye prompted once more, even waving her hands.

"And yes…though good does seem an inadequate description." Jemma's blush deepened and she quickly thought about the chemical formula it might take to make a foundation strong enough to hide it. Shushing Skye rapidly as she caught Ward and Fitz looking in the direction, Jemma turned back to her experiment. She tried not to look guilty, but she couldn't help but mess with a few locks of her hair while sneaking glances in Ward's direction. Skye seemed to realize they had an audience, wisely not turning around to see the two men. Instead, the hacker slid a little to her left, cutting off Jemma's view of them and she hoped their view of her.

"So if he's not good, what is he?" Skye teased just a little, even though Jemma could hear the line in her voice that would push it toward 'embarrass Jemma any way you can' territory.

"Fantastic has crossed the realm of possibility." Jemma admitted quietly, ducking her head at the slightly quieter but no less intense squeal from the other young woman.

"Okay, sorry…calming down." Skye took a deep breath even as she bounced in her chair a few times. Jemma nearly made a remark about the way she moved her hands while doing so, but decided to keep her mouth shut. "But really, there had to be something wrong. I mean it's Ward." Skye tilted her head as if saying his name explained everything. There was a time not two days ago she'd have agreed, but that was before she'd stared to feel him as if a phantom at the most random times in her day.

"Well, he did drop me if you will remember that." Jemma turned to look in her microscope, simply to look at anything but Skye. She'd expected a bruise at minimum, but despite everything she'd found herself without any lasting reminders of Ward's attentions but the memory of them. She nearly cursed at the fact she was so distracted she couldn't place what she was looking at.

"Well, yeah, but besides that. Anything? Too much tongue? Slobber monster? Anything?" Skye leaned closer to the scientist, even putting a hand on her shoulder attempting to draw her attention back from the science she was already distracted from.

"No….nothing of consequence. Agent Ward is quite talented with his um…tongue." Jemma threw her eyes up to the ceiling as the blush returned and Skye seemed torn between laughing and…well apparently not as the Hacker burst out laughing. She steadied herself on Jemma's shoulder and the scientist just knew Ward and Fitz were staring in their direction once more. She refused to look away from the ceiling, but a small smile was threatening to break out onto her face. She attempted to cover it with her hand, but she could not stop herself from letting out a small laugh alongside the woman.

"You gotta give me something Simmons. Just one little TINY detail I can hold over his head when he's giving me the," Skye continued to laugh even as she put her hands to her hips and Jemma knew what was coming even before the impersonation, "…'You're doing it wrong. Damn it Skye. I could do this blindfolded'." Skye dropped her hands to her lap as she shifted back from the horribly inaccurate attempt to sound like Ward. "Crap. Please Jemma?" Skye pouted once more, throwing her hands up again in a prayer motion. With an almost painful sigh, Jemma tried to see the harm in it. Really they'd been teasing her since The Hub. It would be nice to turn their teasing toward someone else. She almost couldn't bring herself to do it though. Almost…

"Well, I suppose if I'm to recall EVERY detail…he could do with a little chap stick…." Jemma shrugged, feeling guilty the second she said it. Skye's eyes widened before a truly evil looking smirk crossed the woman's face. The guilt was easy to read on Jemma's face and the men in the cargo hold undoubtedly knew what they were talking about when Skye moved away from her to turn around. She did not want to know what kind of evil mischief she'd just unleashed on Ward. When Skye scrambled for the tiny station she and Fitz had given her in their lab, Jemma watched in slight horror.

"Now Skye, I did not tell you so you could…" She started to protest, as the woman seemed to scatter her bag onto the desk and forage through it at an alarming rate.

"Oh, come on Simmons, it's not like I'm gonna tell him. It's just for my amusement." Skye cut her off, producing and 'aha' when she held up what looked to be cherry Chap Stick.

"Skye…" Jemma drew out her name, flicking her eyes back between the woman and the side long glances the pair were getting from the cargo bay.

"Don't worry Simmons. He'll never know why I'm gonna find this SO. DAMN. FUNNY!" Skye darted around Jemma before she let out more than a tiny squeak of protest. Skye nearly jumped out of the lab, and Jemma found herself scrambling back to her experiment. She did not look up to see what was happening for several minutes, but when she did she nearly choked. Skye held out what appeared to be the Chap Stick to Ward, who raised an eyebrow at her. Jemma watched mortified as Skye shrugged obnoxiously, and in no way subtle like she'd said, and applied it to her own lips laughing as she ascended the staircase. Jemma felt the male stares on the back of her head threaten to singe her hair but she refused to pick her eyes up from the microscope again.


	3. Self Defense

“Well it is the truth!” Jemma stammered awkwardly putting away a case of samples in the labs mini-fridge.

 

  
“And you had to tell Skye…why exactly?” Ward continued to pressure her and Jemma really wished she’d escaped when she had the chance the moment he’d entered her lab after days of the cold shoulder.

 

  
“I have apologized Agent Ward, I’m unaware of what the next step in the apology protocol would be in this situation, but I do not believe it is being subjected to…whatever it is you are doing.” Jemma angrily motioned to his now typical posture and the glare on his face.

 

  
“She’s unfocused, and it’s going to get her killed if she won’t practice like she is supposed to! She’s even back to saying, ‘boom’, at the range!” Ward huffed, drawing his arms from his hips to cross his chest tightly.

 

  
“Yes, well I hardly think that is my doing, or fault.” Jemma huffed right back, continuing her way through the lab placing things in their proper place. Of all the things he could have stormed into the lab to talk to her about. Their kiss in the lounge, the way she’d been avoiding him; no he chose the one tiny thing she’d told Skye. And really, it was as if Fitz had completely ransacked their space looking for the right bolt for his electronic screwdriver/mouse-hole upgrade. So far he’d had enough time to fabricate a screwdriver in his spare time. And really did that astounding achievement, and Jemma was being sarcastic, require him to ransack every shelf?

 

  
“Is it out of your system? This girlish fascination with gossip? Because we all have serious work to do!” Ward yelled, giving up his neutral stance in favor of waving his hands around. Jemma felt her cheeks redden, but she refused to bow her head. She was well aware she’d avoided him, but she hadn’t seen him make any effort to talk to her about that moment’s hesitation in grabbing Coulson’s watch during her embarrassment. If anything, it seemed Ward was going to dismiss any lingering feeling of confusion she’d had after their display in the lounge area with his attitude.

 

 

“Right, as if men don’t talk to each other about such things. You will have to excuse my need to process the overwhelming humiliation I have been subjected to lately.” She snipped back, slamming the dwarf case down on the holotable without care. “Is that to say you have somehow evolved past expressing feelings of anything besides aggression? Perhaps, Skye is truly correct in assuming you were manufactured instead of born, or perhaps Fitz is correct and the term is HATCHED.” Jemma sassed, her hand finding her hip as she fixed Ward with a glare that would make Fitz cower. Ward’s eyes simply narrowed instead, a sigh escaping his lips after several long moments when neither backed down.

 

 

“Then is there something you want to share?!” He threw up his hands in frustration, turning his back on Jemma as she could have sworn she heard him counting to three through clenched teeth.

 

“If you must know, it was Skye that sought such information as I’m coming to suspect she has developed quite the crush on you. Why is beyond me.” Jemma ratted out Skye instantly, feeling a little better about sharing personal information on Ward with the woman, though the guilt didn't seem to dissipate, rather climb when it appeared he knew already.

 

“Skye needs to focus, and you aren't helping her do that.” Ward finally turned back toward her after a moment of awkward silence in which Jemma wanted to take back what she’d just said about Skye. She opened her mouth to release a horrible lie, as she was well aware she couldn't lie to save her life. She was about to tell him she’d just been kidding about Skye’s crush but she found him shaking his head at her as if he knew what she was about to say. Huffing in frustrated annoyance, Jemma decided to turn her attentions back to her task at hand. Minding her own business had never failed her before…until Ward opened his mouth once more.

 

“Self-defense training, you’re up Simmons.” He threw over his shoulder as he made his way to the cargo bay. Jemma clenched her eyes shut tight to ward off the panic of his very likely revenge at the Chap Stick jokes Skye had been throwing his way for three days now. She knew running the other way would only delay the inevitable since Coulson had backed May and Ward’s declaration that the scientists aboard needed more training.

 

“I’m not getting any younger!” Ward’s voice carried through the opening door as Fitz once more appeared, having disappeared to the kitchen for lunch.

 

“I hope you’re happy. I can’t seem to get anything done with your personal projects taking up valuable work space and now I’m to be summoned away from work all together.” Jemma huffed, taking her frustration out on a startled Fitz without a second thought. Fitz was a safe target she knew, and it seemed as if she’d inadvertently messed with everyone on board somehow; why not add him to the list. Fitz, her best friend, the man that knew when she was truly angry gave her a raised eyebrow instead of rising to the bait. His hands full of spare parts he watched her trudge toward the lab doors before comprehension eased his posture at the sight of Ward and boxing gloves.

 

“Don’t worry Simmons; he only MOSTLY kills you the first time!” Fitz laughed at her misfortune, earning a rather unfriendly scowl directed his way before the lab doors shut once more.

 

“You can’t work out in that.” Ward nodded his head toward her blue button down and dress slacks.

 

“Right, well, you see this rather rude specialist decided to drag me out of my very business casual laboratory in the middle of several running projects and insist that he wasn't getting any younger. Which would be a very interesting project I could look into, seeing as how my specialty, happens to lie in the field of biochemistry. Not channeling aggression into meaningless objects, in the hope that they will disintegrate. This could also, by the way, be another project I could be filling my time with. So if my attire offends you, Agent Ward, then I would suggest you see to giving me more notice next time.” She huffed, her hands finding her hips in a perfect imitation of the mocking she’d taken part in several weeks ago before her flight from that very cargo hold.

 

“Just…put these on and lose the shoes.” Ward finally sighed, seeming to surrender and it gave Jemma a startled moment of hesitation. She took the gloves from him, but did not take her eyes off of him until he motioned toward them with his head.

 

“Look Simmons, I get it. You’re comfortable in your lab, but the reality of the field is you aren’t going to always be able to fall back on…” Ward sighed, his voice trailing off as she finished fastening the Velcro of the first glove. Without another word, Ward helped her with the other, his hands steady where the weight of the gloves pulled at Jemma’s arms.

 

“Won’t be able to fall back on what, Agent Ward? My intelligence, as I assured the team before my rather embarrassing public grilling is more valuable than I believe any brute strength could ever be. Of course that sounds rather full of myself, but as my abilities have been in question lately I feel the need to defend them.” Jemma started out steady and angry, only for her voice to waiver just a little by the end of her declaration.

 

She was startled by Ward moving behind her quickly, and a shiver took hold of her body before she could stop it at his hands in her hair. So caught up in her indignation she hadn't noticed Ward slipping the hair tie from her wrist until he, more gently than she ever would have expected, pulled her hair into a ponytail. The tingles were overwhelmingly pleasant and Jemma had to blink several times at the unmeaning intimate gesture. He seemed to be efficient in even this, but for the life of her Jemma couldn't string together a sentence. She found herself tilting her head back, whether to give him better access for his task or not she didn't know. She tried not to close her eyes and memorize the feel of the callouses on his right hand as he reached to her forehead for small wisps of her hair she had never been more grateful and loathsome of. She hoped Fitz did not look toward them to see the flush in her cheeks. He would laugh the rest of the day. For goodness sake she was not a love struck teenager, she had to remind herself angrily. Opening her eyes as Ward released her, threading his fingers through her bound hair one last time before his hands landed on her shoulders, he didn't seem to have even noticed how tense she’d become.

 

“Me.” He sighed, his breath tickling her ear before he moved back around to stand on the other side of the punching bag that Skye had secretly named ‘punchy’. Jemma blinked several times, raising her arms in an attempt to mimic the motions she’d pitied Skye through every morning. It took her longer than she was proud of, simply because she was fighting for control of her blush in addition to needing to keep her mind on task. It was going to become frustrating if every time Ward innocently touched her his lips revisited her as the phantom he’d become upon her. Ward seemed pleasantly surprised to see she had the correct form. Choosing to stay quiet wasn’t easy as his words took hold of her brain instead of his touch as she tried to put it from her mind, so they didn’t have another week of awkward avoidance. He seemed both amused and, dare she say it, proud of her when he only needed to correct her a few times. Jemma knew the sweat of her exertion was visible from her brow to the overheated undersides of her feet after having slipped her flats off, but she hoped she didn’t look to much a mess. She didn’t spare much thought to it, reminding herself this wasn’t about her appearance. If she could guess, and really it wasn’t a guess so much as an educated estimation, he was trying to help her with her muscle strength and her endurance.

 

  
Each punch was almost automatic to some degree. She knew the force it would take to break bones, which angles would do the most damage to every nerve and tendon in her hands, but it was Ward’s words that were sinking into her mind as she latched onto anything put his proximity. She wondered if this single mindedness was why Ward chose this sort of outlet. There was certain clarity involved; however Jemma just wished that hadn’t come at the expense of her dignity. The anger faded, after three punches because she was willing to admit she was out of shape, she realized he wasn’t trying to further punish her. The tension in his voice barely ten minutes before settled into Jemma’s gut like ice water through her veins. She’d been alone…with Skye only when she’d come across Agent Sitwell. Ward had been the one in trouble, and Agent May still scared her. If another situation arose like the one previous…she shuttered, earning a questioning look from Ward as Coulson’s words finally hit her about Court Marshall’s and the likely outcome of Fitz and Ward’s mission.

 

“Okay, that’s enough. There’s something else I want to work on before you fall over.” Ward startled her out of her seriousness, no doubt the frown on her face giving her away.

 

“Oh thank god.” She couldn’t help but sigh in relief, earning a well humored smirk from Ward as he undid her gloves. Jemma had certainly heard Skye say the same thing when he called their workouts to a close and she understood why now. Jemma flexed her fingers, grimacing as she did at the loud pops of her knuckles. She had no idea why, but after a few flexes she found her hands encased in larger ones, each knuckle being popped to satisfaction. Ward grabbing hold her of hands was going to need to stop. Of that, Jemma was certain because her heart couldn’t take it and cardio in the same hour.

 

“Your hearts racing…” He raised his eyebrow at her and Jemma felt herself flush once more, thinking once again about the chemical composition it would take to cover such a thing. Though short of dendrotoxin she wasn’t sure she could fix her heart rate at the moment. Where was an Icer when she needed it? It was after a quick jerk of her hands away from him that she realized he had hold of her pulse point.

 

“Right, well that’s to be expected after such a spirited and mindless pummeling of said, meaningless object.” She covered for herself, praising her ability not to stutter quietly in the back of her head.

 

“I’ll ignore the fact you’re a horrible liar right now. We’ll have to work on that. For now…” Ward simply glossed over her inherent reaction to being so close to him to her immense surprise, “…this is something I think you’ll benefit most from. Pressure points are going to be your new best friend. I assume you know where they all are?” He almost sassed her, a cocky smirk growing the longer she simply stared at him, her pulse seeming to jump even more erratically the longer his fingers danced across her skin almost as if he was doing it on purpose and not at the same time.

 

“Of course, must I list them for you or will you exempt me from such things given that I have two high level degrees in fields I’m sure would bore you?” She sassed back, raiding an eyebrow at him, attempting to pull her wrist back again and failing, “But I hardly see how they will become my best...Bloody Hell!” Jemma cried out as Ward’s hand slid up her forearm, pressing down on the bundle of nerves located in her inner elbow. Bringing her to her knees in a split second before he let go; Ward hoisted her up to her feet in the same motion. Steadying her against his chest as she got her bearings once more he waited for Jemma to say something before his shoulders relaxed as much as the always uptight agent would allow.

 

“Was that completely necessary?” Jemma huffed, pushing off the solid wall of muscle in frustration, the heat of his body making phantom tingles spread through her lips and to other less innocent places about her person.

 

“Understand now? Because I’m not the best ex plainer, didn’t go to SciOps after all.” He couldn’t help but chuckle and it took Jemma a solid minute of staring to reassure her she’d actually heard the sound.

 

“Yes.” Jemma nodded, rubbing her elbow though it did not hurt. The gesture seemed to make a muscle twitch in Ward’s jaw and Jemma didn’t need a scan of his brain to realize he was feeling guilty for hurting her. His eyes told her, though she was not about to come out and say that to the man she seemed to be on okay footing with at the moment. A drastic improvement from the angry encounter earlier, or the avoidance they’d been sticking to for days.

 

“I needed to know. Seems specialists aren’t completely without knowledge.” She nodded toward her elbow, looking away from him before she could seem to be reassuring the deadly assassin.

 

“You did. There is a lot more I need to teach you, but Fitz is looking like he’s going to destroy all that important work you were going on about an hour ago.” Jemma snapped her head up to Ward, following his finger in the direction of her lab to find Fitz trying to extinguish a small fire, blessedly on HIS side of the lab. Jemma scoffed, rolling her eyes at the waving of his hands, the fire extinguisher hanging from his fingers. The sheepish look of embarrassment on her best friends face brought a genuine laugh from Jemma, the fire covered in white foam, his mouse-hole upgrade along with it. Though it was the white foam covering both of Fitz’s hands that made her simply shake her head with a fond smile. Rocket Science was a piece of cake for her poor Fitz, but ask him to use technology he didn’t invent and results varied apparently. She knew an “upgrade” was about to come for the poor over used extinguisher.

 

“Next time…” Ward caught her attention, the smile not falling from her face at the look of amusement in return. “I’ll let you science me. Fair’s fair.” Ward chuckled; making his way toward the stairs and Jemma couldn’t help but stare after him in wonder, the blush firmly back in place. Skye was right they had been on the bus to long, because there was no way Ward of all people meant that the way she thought. Jemma really needed to get her mind out of Skye’s gutter.

 

“Fitz!” Jemma called, shaking her head determinedly before moving toward the lab. She missed the flexing of Ward’s hand on the staircase rail, and his glance backward as she moved to confront her lab partner.

 

“In my defense, there was only a .2% chance of that happening.” Fitz raised his hands in surrender while fatigue settled on Jemma’s shoulders.

 

“Fitz!” Jemma, for all her intelligence couldn’t find anything else to say but his name, though it didn’t appear she needed to as he regained his sheepish look for several minutes.

 

Two hours later, Jemma found herself with a now clean lab, a new use for the dwarves, and a hair tie back around her wrist. If anyone noticed she didn’t take it off they said nothing. After all it was just a hair tie, at least that was what Jemma tried to convince herself for several days as the phantom kiss and the gentle way Ward’s fingers had threaded through her hair played every time she looked at it. She needed to stop and she knew it, but a little fantasy here and there never hurt a woman…right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...been a while. I was going through some docs looking for a chapter I started on Lesson Learned and found a half finished one for Ego Boost...add in a little caffeine and here it is. It's not as funny as I'd like it to be, but Ward's not the most fun character at this point.


End file.
